Putting a face to the case

By Heather Nolan

Updated 10:42 am, Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff

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Batiste Breaux Jr. has been charged with capital murder for the deaths of Kelly Evans, 25, and Gerald Evans, 27. The Evans brothers and a friend were shot and killed in the 4600 block of Ironton in Beaumont on Aug.5, 2008. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Batiste Breaux Jr. has been charged with capital murder for the deaths of Kelly Evans, 25, and Gerald Evans, 27. The Evans brothers and a friend were shot and killed in the 4600 block of Ironton in Beaumont on

Joseph Kenneth Colone Jr. has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Mary Hernandez Goodman, 41, and Briana Goodman, 16. The women were found shot to death on July 31, 2010 in a duplex on Hartel Street in Beaumont. Police believe the killings were retaliation. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Joseph Kenneth Colone Jr. has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Mary Hernandez Goodman, 41, and Briana Goodman, 16. The women were found shot to death on July 31, 2010 in a

Labyron Jaffar Warren, 18, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while working at Van's Grocery on Avenue A in Beaumont. Warren was 16 at the time of the offense and was certified to stand trial as an adult. But he cannot face the death penalty because of a state law that says juvenile offenders cannot be executed.

Labyron Jaffar Warren, 18, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while

Shawn Tyler Nelson, 20, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while working at Van's Grocery on Avenue A in Beaumont. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Shawn Tyler Nelson, 20, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while

Preston Keith Addison, 22, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while working at Van's Grocery on Avenue A in Beaumont. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Preston Keith Addison, 22, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while

Marvin Lucien, 23, is one of four men who have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Dang Minh Nguyen, 20. Nguyen, a Lamar University nursing student, was shot in the head while working at Van's Grocery on Avenue A in Beaumont. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Gregory Adam George, 29, has been charged in capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Jose Luis Morales, 41. Morales was shot on April 16, 2011 while standing in the front yard of his Avenue E home. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Gregory Adam George, 29, has been charged in capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Jose Luis Morales, 41. Morales was shot on April 16, 2011 while standing in the front yard of his Avenue E

John Wesley Nero has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Beaumont police officer Bryan Mitchell Hebert, 36. Hebert was standing outside a parked patrol car on Dowlen Road near the corner of Ivanhoe Lane on July 8, 2011 when a Dodge Nitro struck the patrol car, which rolled backward onto Hebert. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

John Wesley Nero has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Beaumont police officer Bryan Mitchell Hebert, 36. Hebert was standing outside a parked patrol car on Dowlen Road near the

Keith Wayne Johnson, 19, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Amanda Hope Rierson, 29, and Beau Edwin Barron, 27. Officers found Rierson and Barron shot to death inside of a red four-door car parked in the driveway of a house in the 2500 block of Campbell St. in Beaumont at about 4 a.m. on Feb. 15. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Keith Wayne Johnson, 19, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Amanda Hope Rierson, 29, and Beau Edwin Barron, 27. Officers found Rierson and Barron shot to death inside of a red

Jeremy Vincent Kneeland, 25, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of DeShondra Guillory, 26, and Israel Manuel, 25. Police have said Guillory and Manuel were shot inside a home on Bean Court in Beaumont on March 18. Guillory died at the scene and Manuel died later that day at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital. The home was later found burned to the ground. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Jeremy Vincent Kneeland, 25, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of DeShondra Guillory, 26, and Israel Manuel, 25. Police have said Guillory and Manuel were shot inside a home on

Travis Kneeland, 21, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of DeShondra Guillory, 26, and Israel Manuel, 25. Police have said Guillory and Manuel were shot inside a home on Bean Court in Beaumont on March 18. Guillory died at the scene and Manuel died later that day at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital. The home was later found burned to the ground. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Travis Kneeland, 21, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of DeShondra Guillory, 26, and Israel Manuel, 25. Police have said Guillory and Manuel were shot inside a home on Bean

Jose Chinchilla, 28, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Francisca Garza, 24, and Gregorio Sanchez, 44. Police have said Garza and Sanchez were in a heated discussion with Chinchilla outside of a home in the 5300 block of Margo Lane in Beaumont when they were shot to death on June 13. Garza had a 2-year-old with Chinchilla. He was arrested June 20 at an apartment complex in Beaumont. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Jose Chinchilla, 28, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Francisca Garza, 24, and Gregorio Sanchez, 44. Police have said Garza and Sanchez were in a heated discussion with

Bartholomew Granger, 41, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Minnie Sebolt, 79. Granger is accused of opening fire in the Jefferson County Courthouse parking lot on March 14. Investigators say he intended to shoot Claudia Jackson, the mother of one of his children and a witness in his aggravated sexual assault of a child trial, but instead shot Sebolt. That trial was in recess the day of the shooting. He faces eight other felony charges related to the incident. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Bartholomew Granger, 41, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Minnie Sebolt, 79. Granger is accused of opening fire in the Jefferson County Courthouse parking lot on

Roy Frank Kendrick III, 46, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Vaughn Fausett, 58, and Mary Fausett, 52. Police have said that on Oct. 11, 1985, taxi driver Vaughn Fausett picked Kendrick up from the Market Basket on Phelan and headed toward Tram Road. His wife, Mary, was along for the ride. Police found Mary’s body in the taxi, submerged in a Major Drive canal. They found Vaughn’s a few blocks up on a concrete slope. Kendrick, who is serving a life sentence on another unrelated capital murder conviction from 1997, was indicted in the Vaughns’ deaths last Septemeber.This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Roy Frank Kendrick III, 46, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Vaughn Fausett, 58, and Mary Fausett, 52. Police have said that on Oct. 11, 1985, taxi driver Vaughn Fausett

Leroy Winfield has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Michael Hadnot, 35. Hadnot died as a result of five gunshot wounds, one to the head, which he had received as he sat in his car in the 200 block of Beech Street in Kountze on May 19, 2011. Investigators believed the shooting was an attempted robbery. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Leroy Winfield has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Michael Hadnot, 35. Hadnot died as a result of five gunshot wounds, one to the head, which he had received as he sat in his

Amanda Guidry has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of her daughter, Breonna Nichole Loftin, 4. Loftin died Aug. 17, 2011 at a Beaumont hospital, where emergency room staff noticed bruises, burn marks, broken ribs and other signs of physical and sexual abuse on her body, according to authorities. Witnesses said she was spanked, kicked, thrown across a room and forced to stand on top of water bottle caps while barefoot for punishment. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Amanda Guidry has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of her daughter, Breonna Nichole Loftin, 4. Loftin died Aug. 17, 2011 at a Beaumont hospital, where emergency room staff noticed

Jason Delacerda has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Breonna Nichole Loftin, 4. Loftin died Aug. 17, 2011 at a Beaumont hospital, where emergency room staff noticed bruises, burn marks, broken ribs and other signs of physical and sexual abuse on her body, according to authorities. Witnesses said she was spanked, kicked, thrown across a room and forced to stand on top of water bottle caps while barefoot for punishment. This case is pending and could be eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not waived the death penalty in any pending capital murder case.

Jason Delacerda has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Breonna Nichole Loftin, 4. Loftin died Aug. 17, 2011 at a Beaumont hospital, where emergency room staff noticed bruises,

A county that once had the designation of housing the most death row inmates per capita could see a spike in the number of prisoners awaiting execution if prosecutors ask for the death penalty in more than a dozen capital murder cases currently pending in Jefferson County (pictured above).

Since Texas instituted the death penalty in 1923, 23 inmates from Jefferson County have been sentenced to die.

Note: These capital murder cases currently are pending in Southeast Texas and could be eligible for the death penalty, if a guilty verdict is returned.